Search

Idiopathic dilatation of the right atrium is an isolated enlargement of the right atrium in the absence of other cardiac lesions. This rare anomaly has a clinical spectrum ranging from asymptomatic to heart failure or even sudden death. It can be associated with atrial arrhythmias and thrombus formation. Antiplatelet therapy is prescribed in most cases reported in the literature, and reduction plasty is indicated when there is rapid growth of the right atrium, compression of adjacent structures, or refractory arrhythmias. We report four cases of idiopathic dilatation of the right atrium diagnosed during prenatal screening. We describe the intrauterine course and management in postnatal life until early childhood.

Obstructive total anomalous pulmonary venous return (TAPVR) is a potentially life-threatening clinical condition and a surgical emergency. Left-sided partial anomalous pulmonary venous return (PAPVR) in association with a subdivided left atrium, also known as cor triatriatum sinister (CTS), is a very rare malformation that can mimic obstructive TAPVR. We present a case of a newborn with clinical manifestation of cardiogenic shock caused by CTS and PAPVR.

The management of apical ventricular septal defects continues to be challenging because of the difficulty in achieving a complete closure without a left apical ventriculotomy. In this study, we present our innovative technique of closing multiple and/or large muscular apical ventricular septal defects through a right atriotomy. We operated three patients with multiple apical muscular trabecular ventricular septal defects ("Swiss cheese") using a technique that involved exclusion of the right ventricular apex. Their ages ranged between 2 months and 13 years. The VSDs were approached through right atriotomy. The trans right atrial approach using a 5-0 polypropylene purse-string suture or a two-patch procedure is a novel method of closing large apical ventricular septal defects. It was found to be effective with no persistent residual defects and did not have the disadvantages of a ventriculotomy.

We report our experience with the surgical treatment of anomalous origin of the left pulmonary artery in eight children between 2004 and 2009. The congenital heart disease most frequently associated with this condition was patent ductus arteriosus. Surgery was carried out with extracorporeal circulation in five children, and without, in three. The anomalous pulmonary artery was divided and translocated to the main pulmonary artery. One patient died soon after surgery because of hemodynamic instability and another died later because of respiratory complications. The other patients progressed satisfactorily during follow-up: the reimplanted artery remained patent in all cases and respiratory symptoms improved. However, one patient required endoscopic treatment., (Copyright © 2010 Sociedad Española de Cardiología. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.)

The Sano modification of Norwood's operation has the potential to generate an excess volume load on the single right ventricle as a consequence of diastolic reversal of flow through the conduit. This article describes the use of a new, small, biological conduit with a porcine valve inside. This new conduit has been used in modified Norwood procedures. It is interposed between the right ventricle and the confluence of the pulmonary arteries. The use of a valved conduit should prevent the retrograde diastolic blood flow observed with use of nonvalved conduits and may improve postoperative hemodynamics. The use of a new stentless valved conduit in 3 recent Norwood procedures is reported herein.

Coarctation of aorta associated with severe hypoplastic aortic arch and ductus arteriosus dependent, often combined with complex cardiac malformations, should be looked upon as bordering of hypoplastic left heart syndrome. The crucial and first objective is the adequate reconstruction of aortic arch, continuing with the repair of cardiac malformations. The surgical treatment making resection of the coarctation segment combined with left carotid flap plasty is a surgical alternative, useful in patients with this complex anatomic variant.

Liquid nitrogen is the most common medium used by tissue banks for the storage of cryopreserved heart valves. This study evaluates the effect of the length of storage on human cryopreserved heart valves. Human tissues (14 aortic and 13 pulmonary) were frozen in a controlled-rate freezer (1 degrees C/min) and stored in the liquid phase of a nitrogen tank for 9.1+/-1.6 years. The preservative solution was medium M199 containing 5% human serum albumin and 10% Me(2)SO. After thawing in a water bath at 42 degrees C, the cryoprotectant was removed. Then, fragments from vascular wall and leaflet were dissected. Explant cultures and histological studies were performed in order to assess cell viability and structural integrity. CD90 and CD31 expression was analysed in cultured cells using flow cytometry. Light microscopy, immunofluorescence staining and laser scanning confocal microscopy were used to evaluate cell viability and extracellular matrix components. Electron microscopy was used for ultrastructural study. Cell cultures could be obtained from all the specimens assayed. Cells grew from explants showing a fibroblastic phenotype. CD90 expression was common in cultured cells but a low percentage of cells expressed CD31. Histological results showed a good preservation estructure in both leaflets and vascular walls. Morphological features of cellular irreversible damage were very rare. No differences which could be due to length of allograft storage period were observed. We concluded that allografts stored in liquid nitrogen up to 13 years did not significantly undergo loss of cell viability other than that due to disinfection, freezing and thawing protocols.

Anatomic repair is the standard surgical approach to congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries. However, timing to perform the procedure remains controversial. We present 2 cases of congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries and Ebstein's-like anomaly of the tricuspid valve presenting with heart failure. Both cases had successful anatomic repair during the neonatal period.

Muscular ventricular septal defects still require complex surgical procedures for their repair. We have used a hybrid approach for closure of these ventricular septal defects in patients needing open-heart surgery. It consists of the deployment of a ventricular septal occluder, as used in transcatheter procedures inside the defect under direct vision after cardiopulmonary bypass establishment. Through this paper, we report a case to illustrate a new and simple technique to avoid one of the most dramatic complications after this procedure: the migration of the closure device.

An eleven month-old child underwent a successful modified double switch operation for total correction of complete atrioventricular canal, double outlet right ventricle, noncommitted ventricular septal defect, pulmonary stenosis, common atrium and anomalous left superior vena cava to an unroofed coronary sinus. We describe the technique of modified double switch operation, utilizing an atrial switch combined with a Rastelli type reconstruction between the venous ventricle and the pulmonary artery.

We present a series of 4 patients in whom a ventricular septal defect (VSD) was closed with an Amplatzer muscular VSD device during cardiac catheterization. In one patient with type I truncus arteriosus and subarterial VSD, closure of a wide apical defect was done to allow further surgical correction while avoiding left ventricular ventriculotomy. The second patient had congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries with complete A-V block and a pacemaker implanted from birth. Our intention was unload the systemic anatomical right ventricle. The third patient had had 3 heart surgeries to correct a double outlet right ventricle. She had a residual ventricular septal defect which was large enough to cause heart failure. The last patient had an isolated muscular ventricular septal defect. Percutaneous closure was successful in all patients, and there were no complications. Percutaneous closure of the defect may be used as a primary procedure, before surgery, or as a complementary procedure after surgery.

Objective: Although the first pulmonary autograft operations were performed in Spain in 1991, this procedure has gained substantial interest and has been consolidated since 1997. The establishment of the Spanish Registry of the Ross Operation pretends to evaluate the results of this option in aortic valve disease patients in our setting., Methods: In a yearly fashion, the cardiac surgery departments in Spain currently performing this intervention send data from new patients or follow-ups to the reference center. Preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative data are included in the registry, with special attention to morbidity, mortality, autograft and homograft dysfunction and need for reintervention., Results: Since February 1991 to May 2002, 169 patients have been treated with this technique. The most prevalent aortic disease was regurgitation (72; 42.59%), congenital being the most frequent etiology (108; 63.9%). Four (2.36%) patients required intraoperative aortic counterpulsation. Operative mortality was 2.36% (n=4). Follow-up is 98.7% complete, with an average of 36.08+/-31.09 months (range 1-135), 84 patients (49.7%) were followed for more than 2 years. The autograft remains competent or with trivial to mild regurgitation in 161 patients (95.6%), presenting two (1.18%) with severe regurgitation. The homograft was normal or with mild stenosis in 159 patients (94.07%), presenting five (2.95%) with severe stenosis. Three (1.77%) required reintervention (surgical or interventional) on the right ventricular outflow tract and four (2.36%) required autograft replacement for a mechanical prosthesis. Actuarial survival is 95.99+/-1.65% at 36 months, remaining 92.44+/-2.55% free from reintervention in the same period., Conclusions: The Ross operation is an increasingly popular surgical option in Spain, and although the number of patients and length of follow-up are still limited, initial results are at least as good as those reported internationally. It is important to continue a close follow-up of these patients to assess the long-term function of auto and homograft. With the available data, we believe that this therapeutic approach is a valid option for selected groups of patients with surgical aortic valve disease in Spain.

Introduction and Objective: Acute graft failure (AGF) is defined as significant failure of myocardial function in a newly implanted heart. The aim of the present study was to investigate a series of factors related to heart transplantation (HT) in relation to AGF., Material and Method: In a study of 287 consecutive HTs performed over a 14-year period, AGF was defined when: a) the surgeon observed ventricular dysfunction before closing the sternotomy; b) various inotropic drugs were required at high doses in the first days after surgery, or c) ventricular dysfunction was identified by routine echocardiography in the immediate postoperative period. Statistical analysis comprised a descriptive and univariate comparative study, followed by multivariate analysis based on application of a logistical regression model., Results: The incidence of AGF was 22%. Predictors of AGF were female donor status (OR = 2.2; 95% CI, 1.2-4.4; p = 0.02), a disproportion of more than 20% in donor-recipient body weight (OR = 2.2; 95% CI, 1.1-4.3; p = 0.02), and background ischemic heart disease (OR = 2.5; 95% CI, 5.5-1.1; p = 0.03) or valve pathology (OR = 5.0; 95% CI, 7.0-1.5; p = 0.01)., Conclusions: AGF is a frequent pathology, which was present in 22% of our heart transplantation patients. Among the modifiable factors related to AGF was a clear disproportion in body weight and the size of grafts from female donors. Unmodifiable factors related to AGF were ischemic heart disease and valvular heart disease as a cause of heart transplantation.

Background and Aim of the Study: The study aim was to determine whether long-term prognosis was affected by valve replacement with a tilting-disc prosthesis., Methods: Surgical data were recorded prospectively for all (n = 153) valve replacement cases with the Omnicarbon prosthesis during the period February 1985 to January 1986. A rheumatic valvular pathology was present in 105 patients (68.6%). There were 78 (51%) aortic (AVR), 51 (33%) mitral (MVR) and 24 (16%) double (DVR) valve replacements. The follow up was 99% complete (n = 151)., Results: Mean follow up was 10.2+/-4.4 years (total 1,472 patient-years (pt-yr)). Survival at 10 years was 68+/-4% (71+/-5% AVR, 61+/-7% MVR), and this fell to 57+/-4% at 14 years. No structural failure was observed. Thromboembolic and hemorrhagic events were rare, with actuarial freedom from thromboembolism of 94+/-2% and 91+/-3% at 10 and 14 years, respectively. This low incidence of thromboembolism encouraged an ease in anticoagulation; hence the AVR and MVR cohorts had a median INR of 2.8, but a higher INR (3.4) was maintained in DVR patients. All prostheses had acceptable hemodynamic performance. No cases of hemolytic anemia were detected, and mean blood counts were within normal ranges. Lactate dehydrogenase values indicated minimal hemolysis, and were lowest after AVR (median LDH 93% normal) and highest after DVR (median LDH 136% normal). Functional evaluation showed an improvement in NYHA class that remained stable over 14 years. At follow up, 95% (75/79) of patients were in NYHA class I or II., Conclusion: Survival and quality of life after Omnicarbon valve implantation exceeded the authors' expectations. Functional capacity remains good, and valve-related complication rates are low. The Omnicarbon tilting-disc valve has been shown to provide reliable and satisfactory service in the long term.

Background: From February 1985 to December 1994, 781 Omnicarbon valve prostheses were implanted in 647 patients. These were 357 male and 290 female patients with a mean age of 53.5+/-10.5 years (range, 4 to 78 years). Before operation, 81% of the patients were in New York Heart Association class III or IV, 16% were in class II, and only 3% were in class I., Methods: There were 227 aortic valve replacements (AVR) (35%), 286 mitral valve replacements (MVR) (44%), and 134 double-valve replacements (DVR) (21%) (AVR + MVR). Follow-up was 96.3% complete and consisted of 2,746 patient-years (mean follow-up, 4.6 years, and maximum follow-up, 10.7 years)., Results: Hospital mortality rates were 7.0% for AVR, 8.0% for MVR, and 8.2% for DVR. The annualized rate of anticoagulant-related hemorrhage was 0.8% per patient-year, and thromboembolism occurred at a rate of 0.7% per patient-year. No structural failure was observed during 10-year follow-up. Twenty-one instances of nonstructural dysfunction (two, pannus growth, and 19, dehiscence) of the Omnicarbon valve occurred in 20 patients, an incidence of 0.8% per patient-year. Hemolytic anemia was observed only in the presence of valvular dehiscence (6 of 19). Eight patients (0.3% per patient-year) had development of prosthetic valve endocarditis (4, AVR; 2, MVR; and 2 DVR). At the end of 10 years of follow-up, 91% of the survivors were in New York Heart Association class I or II. The overall survival rate at 10 years was 82.5%+/-2.6% (85.0%+/-3.9%, AVR; 81.0%+/-4.1%, MVR; and 82.5%+/-2.6%, DVR). Considering only valve-related deaths, the survival rate at 10 years was 91.9%+/-2.4% (90.0%+/-2.7%, AVR; 93.1%+/-3.8%, MVR; and 90.0%+/-1.8%, DVR)., Conclusions: Clinical results over a 10-year follow-up are excellent with the Omnicarbon prosthesis.

Univentricular heart is an uncommon congenital heart disease. A select group of these patients (those with severe pulmonary stenosis or atresia) can reach adult age with different degrees of heart failure and severe chronic hypoxemia. Patients with adequate pulmonary tree development are likely to undergo heart transplantation when usual palliative techniques are contraindicated. Three cases of univentricular heart with pulmonary stenosis in which heart transplantation was the optimal choice are reported. Different techniques used to assess pulmonary tree development are analysed.

Objective: The purpose of the study was to analyze some variables of donors, recipients and surgical procedures in order to discover factors that could predict mortality during the early stage (< 30 days) of orthotopic heart transplants., Material and Method: 125 consecutive orthotopic heart transplants in adults were analyzed. The average age was 51 +/- 11 (range: 12-67), 109 (87%) were men, 16 were women (13%). Two groups were compared: 15 patients who died within 30 days after heart transplant and 110 who survived during that period. Immunosuppressive protocol: preoperative: Cyclosporin + Azathioprine. Intraoperative: Methylprednisolone Postoperative: Methylprednisolone (first 24 h), antilymphocyte monoclonal antibodies (7-10 days after heart transplant) + Cyclosporin + Azathioprine + Corticoids. The following parameters of the recipient were analyzed: sex, age, weight, size, thoracic perimeter, pretransplant cardiopathy, previous thoracic operations, functional stage or need for catecholamines during the days prior to the transplant, pulmonary artery pressure and resistance, history of systemic arterial hypertension, elevation of creatinine, blood type, urgent transplant indication, receptor/donor weight relationship. The following parameters of donors and operation were analyzed: sex, age, weight, thoracic perimeter, period in intensive care unit, dose of dopamine and dobutamine, blood type, origin of the organ, cause of death, ischaemia time, cardiopulmonary by-pass time and cardioplegia type., Results: The rate of early mortality was 12%. The univariate analysis showed differences in: prior cardiovascular surgery, receptor blood type, need for urgent transplantation, pulmonary artery resistance > 2.5 Wood Units, cardiopulmonary by-pass time, weight relationship between receptor and donor. The death cause of the donor proved significant. On multivariate analysis, the following parameters independently predicted early mortality: history of operation with extracorporeal circulation, high pulmonary artery resistance, urgent transplant, receptor/donor weight relation and time of extracorporeal circulation., Conclusions: We believe that the results of our experience can help to stratify the risk in the orthotopic heart transplant recipient and even to contraindicate the procedure in some cases showing an accumulation of poor prognostic factors in borderline recipients.

We present the case of a 29-year-old women with a cardiac primary angiosarcoma diagnosis. The initial symptom was a cardiac tamponade. The tests for screening metastasis proved negative. She was preoperatively treated with chemotherapy, followed by a heart transplant. There were no incidents related to surgery nor to the transplant except for a rejection in the second week biopsy. Four weeks after the transplant, the patient had a sudden dyspnea, the radiological tests confirmed the existence of a massive pleural overflow and lung and pleural metastasis. All types of therapeutical approaches were rejected except for pleurodesis. The patient died 60 days after the heart transplant.

In recent years the use of cryopreserved allograft valves has become very popular. Homograft valves have been used for aortic valve replacement and for reconstruction of the outflow tract of the right ventricle for more than 30 years with very good results. Recently the method of cryopreservation has made possible the creation of valve banks. The use of this cryopreserved valves has obtained very good short and medium term results. We present our experience with the use of cryopreserved allograft valves in the reconstruction of the right ventricular outflow tract in the treatment of complex cardiac malformations. We have operated 15 children. Six were diagnosed of different types of transpositions of the great arteries with ventricular septal defect and pulmonary atresia or stenosis. There were 2 deaths not related to the use of the allograft valves. Nine other patients were diagnosed of different types of complex cardiac malformations. One patient with a univentricular heart and pulmonary stenosis and a neonate presenting with a truncus arteriosus communis died after the operation; again the deaths were not related to the use of the homograft conduits. Our technique of cryopreservation consists in the procurement of aortic and pulmonary valves from multiorgan donor patients. The valves are sterilized in antibiotics for 48 hours. Then the process of freezing is began with a period of progressive cooling down to -40 degrees C and second phase of storage in liquid nitrogen to a temperature of -178 degrees C. The short and medium term results are very satisfactory. We have not seen late important complications.

We review 1696 patients with blunt chest trauma. Road traffic accidents were the main cause of injury followed by domestic falls and labour accidents. Outdoor falls and sport accidents accounted for a small number of injuries. For clinical evaluation, Stoddart's score was used. The injuries were considered as minor in 710 patients, intermediate in 740 and severe in 246. Global in-hospital mortality was low (5%) but increased to 37% when only patients with multiple severe injuries were considered. Thoracic wall fractures were present in 1419 patients. Flail chest was diagnosed in 140 patients and pulmonary contusion in 275. Diaphragmatic rupture was present in 40 patients and tracheobronchial injury in 6. Cardiovascular injuries occurred in 55 patients. Associated extrathoracic injuries were seen in 611 patients: 923 patients were clinically observed and/or medically treated. An intercostal tube was inserted in 638 patients. Thoracotomy was undertaken in 105 patients. Surgical fixation for flail chest was carried out in 29 patients. The results were generally good: 9 patients did not need any mechanical ventilation and 11 were ventilated for a short period. No deaths were due to the surgical procedure. The authors maintain that a selective attitude restricting, but not ignoring, surgical stabilization is the best policy.

We present a case of heart-lung transplantation complicated by bronchial perforation as the cause or consequence of prolonged lung infection. Periodic bronchoscopic and radiological follow-up showed resolution of the condition following adequate antibiotic and physiotherapeutic treatment.

From January 1973 to August 1989, 112 patients with non-tumoral tracheal strictures were treated in our unit. In 102 patients, the stenosis followed respiratory support. Eighty-one patients were treated surgically; the rest required only endoscopic therapy. In 28 patients, surgical treatment followed failure of endoscopic management. Of the patients submitted to surgery an isolated tracheal stenosis was present in 54 cases while a laryngotracheal stricture was the lesion in the other 27. Tracheal resection and end-to-end anastomosis was performed in the former group. Rethi, Pearson and Couraud procedures, respectively, were carried out in the latter. We emphasize the difference in the results achieved in the first 5 years and those obtained in the last 10 years. In the former period, 7 reoperations were needed. On the other hand, although the overall mortality of both series was 9%, it decreased to 2% during the last 10 years. Excellent or good ultimate results were achieved in 92% of survivors. Finally, we stress the differences in the proportion of reinterventions and definitive failures in the surgical treatment of isolated tracheal stenosis compared to laryngotracheal strictures.

Reports on surgical repair of cases with L-malposition of the great arteries with situs solitus atrialis and concordant atrioventricular connection are uncommon. A review of the anatomical characteristics of these cases has shown several peculiarities that may have considerable important in planning operation. Among them we emphasize the morphology of the ventricular septal defects, possible outflow tract obstructions and coronary artery course, anomalies of the atrioventricular valves and the course of the conduction system. Each of these aspects is reviewed from a surgical viewpoint in the light of our combined previous surgical and anatomical experience and of a review of previous reports by other authors.

Delayed cardiac tamponade after open heart surgery is relatively uncommon, but constitutes a life-threatening condition that must be diagnosed and managed promptly. We report 21 patients who developed cardiac tamponade 5 to 53 days after open heart operations. Possible etiological factors included anticoagulant therapy (19 patients), excessive mediastinal drainage in the postoperative period (10 patients), postpericardiotomy syndrome (4 patients), and coagulation disorders (1 patient). The clinical presentation was insidious and the diagnosis was often difficult to establish at the outset. A high index of clinical suspicion and echocardiography were the most reliable means to reach an early diagnosis. Twenty patients in whom delayed tamponade was suspected were operated and all of them survived. In one patient tamponade was not diagnosed antemortem and he died; on autopsy left heart compression by a large loculated clot was found. Decompression of the pericardial space can be accomplished by pericardiocentesis or by surgical means (subxiphoid pericardiotomy, median sternotomy, or thoracotomy). Although pericardiocentesis alone may be effective, mainly when the postpericardiotomy syndrome is the suspected etiology, we recommend open procedures since the presence of blood clots and adhesions has been a frequent finding.

Prosthetic valve replacement of the left-sided atrioventricular (AV) valve was performed in a patient with AV discordance and Ebstein's anomaly of the left-sided AV valve without other associated anomalies. An anatomical study of 22 specimens with AV discordance did not show a case with similar anatomy; 5 hearts had mild degrees of downward displacement of the attachment of the left-sided AV valve leaflets, with marked dysplastic changes and variable degrees of hypoplasia. The surgical implications are different according to the degree of downward displacement of the leaflets. This feature and the size of the annulus and the morphologically right ventricle should be considered in preoperative evaluation, along with the operative approach, possible presence of atrialization of the wall of the proximal chamber and the relation of the left AV valve to the conduction system. Preoperative diagnosis of the anomaly is possible by angiocardiography and other methods.

Anatomically corrected malposition is a rare anomaly usually associated with other complex malformations. However, less complicated cases do occur and we report one such case treated surgically with success. Our experience underlines the importance of careful digital examination of the right ventricle from the atrium to determine the position of the septum, as the position of the left anterior descending coronary artery can be misleading.

An unusual aneurysmal aorta--right atrial communication was found in a 25-year-old man with a rounded mass in the right cardiophrenic angle. Differential diagnoses included ruptured aneurysm of the sinus of Valsalva, coronary arteriovenous fistula, rupture of a dissecting aneurysm of the ascending aorta into the right atrium, and pseudoaneurysm of the right coronary artery followed by formation of a fistula between the aneurysm and the right atrium. Closure of the communication was performed under cardiopulmonary bypass. Complete absence of the right superior vena cava with a large persistent left superior vena cava draining to the coronary sinus was an unexpected finding at operation. The origin of the communication is not known; possible anomalous coronary and noncoronary origins are considered.

We describe a case of double outlet right ventricle with subaortic ventricular septal defect and pulmonary stenosis treated successfully with cardiopulmonary bypass. We consider the clinical history and angiocardiographic and surgical findings of this rare anomaly. We stress the difficulties of reconstruction of the outflow tract of the right ventricle, because of the anomalous pathway of the right coronary artery, the posterior situation of the pulmonary artery, and the abnormal anatomy present in the outflow tract of the right ventricle.